Ashley S.P. and Jennifer Zapata are emotional today. They often are when they talk about this thing they’ve built. Their eyes well up with tears, their voices crack in unison — they can’t help it. “Every day when I walk in, I’m grateful,” says Zapata. “Look what we’ve created. This beautiful space and all the people that we have met and all the friendships that we have made. I’m just like, ‘Wow, this is my life.’”⁠ ⁠ Since opening Género Neutral in 2021, S.P. and Zapata have become two figures at the center of a constructed universe. Their concept shop in Echo Park has quickly become the kind of place where communities of artists, designers and models intersect. On any given day, you’ll be sure to spot a number of small, sometimes local, often POC-owned brands like Bonnie Clyde, Equihua, Felt, Full Court Press, Danbi, Kids of Immigrants, Paisaboys and more. It’s not unlikely that you might even see one of the designers posted up, catching up with S.P. and Zapata or looking for something for themselves.⁠ ⁠ Tap the #linkinbio to read how, in a fashion world built on exclusivity, Género Neutral has become a space that says ‘I see you.’⁠ ⁠ 📸: @angellachoe